First Time They Met
The silence between them thickened, stretched by something unspoken. His eyes, when they met hers, were pitch black and unreadable.
“You’ve severely underestimated the price,” he said at last, voice deep and smooth, like a cello playing in a graveyard.
She furrowed her brow. “Excuse me?”
“That cigarette?” He stepped closer, his eyes glinting like obsidian. “It costs two hundred million.”
She let out a dry, bitter laugh. “That’s ridiculous.” After that her jaw tensed. “What, was it rolled in diamonds?”
“Prices are set by the one who owns the goods,” he murmured, his gaze unwavering. “You asked for it. Now pay up.”
“What do you think I am?”
“The kind who thinks sorrow makes her interesting,” he said, unfazed. “Like the others. Women who believe sadness is currency. You think the world owes you something.”
Her lips parted, fury trembling in her jaw. “You don’t know a damn thing about me.”
“Don’t I?” His voice dipped into something darker, more amused. “You're not from here, are you?”
“No.”
“Just wandering?”
He took a step toward her, then another. Raellyn instinctively backed away until her spine pressed against the rooftop rail. Her breath caught in her throat.
“You're quite the intriguing woman,” he drawled, voice thick with mockery. “I think I’ll give you a discount for that cigarette.”
“Don’t try to make me laugh, Sir,” Raellyn snapped, folding her arms. “Why do you keep bringing it up?”
“Oh?” His smile twisted into something far less innocent. “How disappointing. If you're trying to seduce me, you'll have to put in more effort. I’d suggest using that body of yours. Perhaps then, I’d consider letting you feel my bed tonight.”
Raellyn scoffed, her patience shredded. With a sharp motion, she flung the cigarette from her lips. The one she hadn’t even enjoyed for more than a moment. It landed on the concrete with a dull flicker. She had dealt with enough for one day humiliation, rejection, and now, this stranger’s vulgar provocations.
No. She would not let this pass.
With a haughty smirk, she spat on the discarded cigarette and crushed it under her heel.
“There,” she said coldly. “Take your damn cigarette. Go to hell with it.”
He laughed. A deep, beautiful, terrifying sound. “Then come with me.”
And then, he stepped forward again, his voice lowering into a whisper laced with threat and promise.
“When we meet again… and we will… I’ll return your payment.”
Raellyn’s fists clenched at her sides. She didn’t tremble, not even slightly, though the man’s presence was like winter itself. His eyes, glacial blue, held the same bite as a wind howling through a broken window just before dawn.
But she wasn’t afraid. Not if she hadn’t done anything wrong.
She ground her teeth, praying he couldn’t hear the frantic pace of her heartbeat or sense the wave of revulsion surging through her chest.
To her dismay, the man only stepped closer, invading her space with a languid menace. There was no room left to retreat.
His long fingers reached up not roughly, but deliberately and brushed the name tag hanging from her neck. The touch was slow, unnervingly sensual.
“I’ve come to the conclusion,” he murmured, “that this little accessory you used to deceive everyone in this building is just as fake as every word you’ve spoken to me. Am I wrong?”
Raellyn’s cheeks flamed with heat. There was something about the gravel in his voice that stirred an involuntary reaction inside her unwanted, confusing. She hated how her body reacted before her mind could protest.
But no. She wouldn’t let herself be swayed by temptation. Not again.
Her eyes narrowed. Fury ignited in her veins like wildfire. She wouldn’t let herself be lulled into submission by a charming face. Not now. Not ever again. Even though, admittedly, this man didn’t have the sweetness of Arsene. He was something else entirely rough, masculine, unpredictable. A magnetic danger.
He was handsome in a way that made every instinct scream stay away. The longer she looked at him, the more he resembled everything a woman should fear: darkness, seduction, and a hint of madness.
Raellyn’s body trembled slightly when his fingers grazed her skin, but she recovered quickly. She caught the smug grin forming on his lips, and it only fueled her disgust.
“My name is very much real, Sir,” she said through gritted teeth, slapping his hand away and yanking the name tag from his grasp. She took a step back, straightened her spine. “I’m Raellyn. I came here for a very personal reason. I’m looking for someone but he’s not here. I have no business with freaks like you.”
He cocked his head, amused. “And who, may I ask, are you looking for?”
“The Director,” she said without hesitation.
His smirk deepened. “Hm… interesting.”
Without warning, he closed the distance again. This time, his hand found the curve of her neck, fingers curling around her throat not enough to hurt, but enough to trap. His other hand pressed against her lips, silencing her.
“What are—”
She jerked her face to the side, instinctively trying to escape, but he was faster. His fingers found her lips again, this time squeezing them with an unsettling mix of affection and aggression. His smile never faded, but to Raellyn, it was venomous.
He wasn’t trying to charm her. He was toying with her.
Her glare cut through him like a blade.
“I truly love that look in your eyes,” he whispered darkly. “Miss Raellyn… I have no doubt we’ll meet again. Very soon. And when we do, I’m certain the Director will be very pleased to see you.”